


So Different Now From What it Seemed

by flibbertygigget



Series: Nightmares [3]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Insomnia, Training Accidents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-15
Updated: 2015-10-15
Packaged: 2018-04-26 13:26:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5006452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flibbertygigget/pseuds/flibbertygigget
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raphael stood sheepishly in front of him, clutching his bleeding arm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	So Different Now From What it Seemed

After their battles with Shredder, after the few long nights of sweat-soaked nightmares, Donatello decided to take the hint that the universe was screaming at him. As awesome as their gear was, neither it nor they had been ready. Donatello couldn't do much about their fighting ability- he had always been less of a fighter than his brothers- but their gear was his speciality. If it being lacking had in any way contributed to that first disaster... Well, Donatello had to fix it, all of it, before he could rest easy again.

Soon his waking hours weren't enough. His fingers twitched from the desire to fix something, even if it was only the fear that gnawed at his stomach. So slowly, quietly, Donatello's room became his workshop as well. It was messy and cluttered, with nails on the floor and bolts in his bed, but at least this way his fingers didn't ache and cramp after long nights of wishing to do something.

Two in the morning wasn't exactly the time that Donatello expected to hear a soft knock at his door. He opened it, expecting to find Leonardo or maybe Master Splinter, but instead it was Raphael who stood sheepishly in front of him, clutching his bleeding arm. Donatello gaped at him a moment, then his brain snapped into doctor mode.

"Who did this to you?" he said, pulling his brother in and quickly brushing off his bed. Raphael grunted and sat awkwardly as Donatello threw open drawers in search of the bandages.

"It's nothin'," Raphael said. "Just a trainin' accident is all."

"You haven't had a training accident in years." Donatello began to wrap Raphael's arm. "Raph, are you lying to me?"

"Of course not!" Raphael said.

"Then how-" Raphael looked down, scowling.

"It's nothin' for you to worry about, Don. Shit, you're worse than Leonardo wit' all your meddlin'."

"Alright, alright, I get it." Donatello frowned. "I just don't understand how you got hurt while training. It's two in the morning, after all."

"I jus' couldn't sleep, I guess," Raphael said. Donatello searched his face for any sign of a lie. "Look, I ain't sneakin' out again, I promise. I'm jus' puttin' my nights to good use in the dojo." Donatello tied off the bandage and carefully laid a hand on his brother's arm.

"I believe you, don't worry," he said. "I'm just- What if I hadn't been awake? You could have lost a lot of blood, and I don't want you to pass out or- or something because you're too tired to see straight." Raphael scowled.

"I ain't never said I was smart, Donnie. That's your job." He sighed. "I jus' gotta, you know? Same way Mikey has to be an optimistic ass or you need to be buildin' things. Trainin', beatin' things up, that's what gets me calm again."

And Donatello understood. God help him, he understood. The need to make use of every ounce of time, the fear of failing because you wasted a night on sleeping, that was all very familiar to him. He could only hope that Raph's training wouldn't be at the expense of his brother's health... or of his life.


End file.
